GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings)
FRIDAY OF THE 20TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
DATE: 19TH AUGUST 2016
1ST READING: Ezekiel 37: 1-14
PSALM: Psalm 107:2-9
GOSPEL: Matthew 22:34-40
THEME: DRY BONES, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD
Life-experiences can sometimes be harsh. There are moments when a beautiful world falls to the ground and crumbles right in front of one’s eyes and there seem to be no way to rebuild it.
The situation of Israel in exile is described in our First Reading with the image of dry bones – a hopeless situation. Yes, by the rivers of Babylon, they sat and wept when they remembered Zion (cf. Ps. 137:1). In a vision, the prophet Ezekiel visualized the power of God’s word to change their predicament. The message of the First Reading was therefore meant to give hope to a people in captivity and to assure them of divine restoration – “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel” (Ezek 37:11-12).
There is so much power in the word of God. It took the word of God to create the world, causing chaos to be transformed into cosmos and it takes the same word of God to recreate a broken world. When something gets distorted in your life, what you need is a word from God. Faith in the word of God can lift you up from the pit of hell to the shores of paradise. When your health is failing and your strength is tearing apart, what you need is the word of God; when you are frustrated, you need the word; when your marriage is breaking, you need the word and when your whole world falls apart, what you need is the word of God.
If dry bones can come back to life on account of the word of God, then take heart, your situation is not beyond remedy. In the eyes of human beings, it may seem hopeless but in the eyes of God, there is a perfect way out.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we bring before you every situation which is comparable to a valley of dry bones. By the power of your word, reach out to every child of yours who has landed into a state of hopelessness and desperation. We pray for relief and restoration for all such persons, for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who came to save all who labour and are overburdened. Amen
Andrews Obeng, svd
DIVINE WORD MISSIONARIES
BIBLICAL PASTORAL MINISTRY
(Ghana Province)
“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the light of the Word and the Spirit of grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen).